Which would be the better option for me?

[kaitagsd]

I am considering mainly Australian and possibly UK schools (because I have an EU passport) right now because I have failed out of first year before and got readmitted back to university. I live in Canada but most if not all Canadian schools are out of my league now due to that. I don't think I will have a shot at Queens or UWO (or any of the schools that don't look at all your years) because I don't think managing a 3.8+ GPA with a load of amazing, related EC's will be manageable for my major (Electrical Engineer) unless anyone can advise on how to do EC's without being a proper pre-med major.

 

I looked up Australian schools earlier and they only look at the last three year's GPA which would be the difference between day and night for me, but I don't know about UK schools since there isn't much information on that (most people seem to prefer Irish). I know that since I hold an EU passport, the tuition for UK will be much cheaper compared to Australia (don't know about Ireland), but I'm not sure whether or not I would still be considered a "foreigner"? And if so, what kind of stats would I need to become a competitive UK applicant? Which is a better option?

 

Also, is it true that there is less emphasis on EC's for these international schools compared to Canada? I could maybe do some physician shadowing, volunteering, gain some more work experience, but to do ones such as research and publications is a little beyond me at the moment.

[shikimate]

You know Queens and UWO don't require 3.8 in 2 years. In the past couple of years UWO was 3.7 and Queens was around there as well.

 

But I see your point of being EU citizen -- that could save you lots of money. I would say (although I don't know too much about this) go for the Irish schools, because they tend to have pretty good number of graduates matching back to Canada (if you wish to come back)

 

And are you sure med is for you? Why electrical engineering?

 

I hope this helps.

[OzTREKK]

G’day kaitagsd,

 

Yes, you are correct, many of the Australian medical schools do not look at extracurricular activities in comparison to Canadian medical schools. Only a very few do.

 

Now, most of the Australian medical schools only look at the final three years of your degree, and they weight it.

 

So the results in your final year of study is given a weighting of 3, your second to final results are given a weighting of 2 and your third to final results are given a weighting of 1. If you have completed a four year degree, then your first year is not considered. This is the case at the University of Melbourne and Monash University. The University of Queensland considers all your years of study from your most recently completed degree in an equal weighting. So, if you have completed a four year degree, all four years are considered.

 

Also, for most Australian medical schools it does not matter what your initial undergraduate program or major was. Most do not have pre-requisite subject requirements.

 

With the EU, double check to see the ‘residency’ rules when it comes to tuition. Some universities in the UK/Europe will still charge you higher rates of tuition if you have not lived in that country for a certain period of time prior to the commencement of your studies. Disclosure: I also have an EU passport.

 

Cheers,

 

Matt

[kaitagsd]

Thanks for the replies, I have done a bit of research past few days, and came up with several conclusions...

 

Australian med schools would be the easier option to get in, but there is the whole "tsunami" of too many incoming students and not enough internship spots thing going on, along with the high tuition.

 

UK schools don't seem to have the "look at last 3 years only" thing with admissions, so I am out of luck there with my failed first year. Should have just done really well in high school and went to school there, but too late for that.

 

I don't like the thought of going to Ireland for school because I've never been there and have a vague impression of the country, but I guess when the time comes I'll look at that too.

 

Canadian schools are just too competitive to get in. I see plenty of people with good stats get rejected or waitlisted. I might still give it a shot here if my next (3rd) year ends up with a strong GPA like 3.8-3.9.

[thehumanmacbook]

You can always move to Alberta to start a new degree / claim IP status.

 

As for the competitiveness, yeah...everyone has felt it one time or another. You're not alone.

 

PS: 1000th post!